Antarcticite
| Antarcticite | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Category | Halide mineral |
| Formula (repeating unit) | CaCl2·6H2O |
| IMA symbol | Atc[1] |
| Strunz classification | 3.BB.30 |
| Crystal system | Trigonal |
| Crystal class | Trapezohedral (32) H-M symbol: (32) |
| Space group | P321 |
| Unit cell | a = 7.9, c = 3.95 [Å]; Z = 1 |
| Identification | |
| Color | Colorless |
| Crystal habit | Occurs as groups of acicular crystals |
| Cleavage | Perfect on {0001}, very good on {1010} |
| Tenacity | Brittle |
| Mohs scale hardness | 2 - 3 |
| Luster | Vitreous |
| Diaphaneity | Transparent |
| Specific gravity | 1.715 |
| Optical properties | Uniaxial (-) |
| Refractive index | nω = 1.550 nε = 1.490 - 1.500 |
| Birefringence | δ = 0.060 |
| Other characteristics | Deliquescent |
| References | [2][3][4] |
Antarcticite is an uncommon calcium chloride hexahydrate mineral with formula: CaCl2·6H2O. It forms colorless acicular trigonal crystals. It is hygroscopic and has a low specific gravity of 1.715.
As its name implies, it was first described in 1965 for an occurrence in Antarctica where it occurs as crystalline precipitate from a highly saline brine in Don Juan Pond, in the west end of Wright Valley, Victoria Land. This discovery was made by Japanese geochemists Tetsuya Torii and Joyo Ossaka.[5] It was also reported from brine in Bristol Dry Lake, California, and stratified brine within blue holes on North Andros Island in the Bahamas. It has also been noted within fluid inclusions within quartz in pegmatite bodies in the Bushveld complex of South Africa. It occurs in association with halite, gypsum and celestine in the California dry lake.[2]
A similar mineral, sinjarite, the dihydrate of calcium chloride, crystallizes in the tetragonal system.[6] Hydrophilite is a now discredited calcium chloride mineral that is considered to be either antarcticite or sinjarite.[7]
References[]
- ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
- ^ a b Handbook of Mineralogy
- ^ Antarcticite on Mindat.org
- ^ Antarcticite data on Webmineral
- ^ Antarcticite: A New Mineral, Calcium Chloride Hexahydrate, Discovered in Antarctica, Science 27 August 1965: Vol. 149 no. 3687 pp. 975-977
- ^ Sinjarite on Mindat
- ^ Hydrophylite on Mindat
- Halide minerals
- Trigonal minerals
- Minerals in space group 150
- Halide mineral stubs